The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in Social studies. The lowest is 73% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Darby Creek Elementary School
Darby Creek Elementary is a middle-years school (grades three through five) in the Hilliard City district, a rapidly growing suburb west of Columbus. The school serves a student body of a few hundred, with roughly a quarter qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Asian, Black, and Hispanic students. No data was available on students with disabilities or English learners.
On the most recent state assessments, Darby Creek's proficiency rates sit in the mid-to-high range across subjects. About three-quarters of students scored at proficiency level or above in both math and English language arts; science ran slightly lower, with just under three-quarters meeting the bar. These results place the school above the midpoint among elementary schools in Franklin County, which is meaningful in a densely tested county. The school's participation rate on the state tests was nearly complete, suggesting strong compliance with testing requirements.
The school exists within a district undergoing substantial change. Hilliard City approved a combined operating levy and bond issue in November, marking the district's first successful funding vote in several years. The bond will fund a major facilities renovation: three elementary schools—including schools that feed into Darby Creek's feeder patterns—will be replaced, and a third sixth-grade center will be built from one current elementary building. Construction has already begun on the replacement Beacon Elementary. These projects reshape which buildings students will attend going forward.
The district has also committed to redistricting student boundaries regardless of the levy outcome, a process set to begin in 2025. Historical patterns suggest that about three-quarters of students typically remain in their current feeder patterns when boundaries change; the reverse means a meaningful share of families could face reassignment. For families considering the Darby Creek area, this is material: school assignments and facility timelines will shift during the years a student might spend in elementary.
Hilliard itself is one of central Ohio's fastest-growing suburbs, with new residential construction concentrated on the west side and along corridors closer to the interstate. Housing values in the area are above state benchmarks. The tax rate for the newly passed levy adds a direct cost to property taxes, with the amount tied to appraised home value. New development includes both single-family subdivisions and larger mixed-use projects, alongside a downtown revitalization effort in Old Hilliard's historic core. This growth and construction activity are the visible context for Darby Creek's students and families—a community in flux, with both opportunity and transition built in.
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